His hand whips around my wrist, grip firm. “No. You don’t get to shower. I want my cum dripping out of you all fucking day. Especially if Wyck so much as breathes your way, I want him tosmellme on you.” He kisses my lips, then adds with a devilish smirk, “You got any plugs around here?”
“Plugs?” I blink.
“Yeah, for your pussy. I’m serious, I want to seal that shit up.” His laugh is feral when I swat him.
“Karter!”
“What? You’re mine now, right? Might as well mark you properly.”
I roll my eyes and melt into his arms anyway, whispering, “Okay.”
He leans back. “Okay? That’s it? No bratty comeback? Who are you and what have you done with my girl?”
I sigh. “I’m tired of fighting all of you. I’ll do whatever you say because I’m sick of living in the dark, of not knowing.” My hand slaps over my mouth, too late.
His fingers tilt my chin up, cool fingertips brushing my skin. I lean into it. Needing it.
“You can only fight for so long, baby girl,” he whispers, fingers weaving into my hair. “Let us fight for you.”
A tear slips free.
No one’s ever fought for me before.
“Aunt Josie is my mother,” I whisper. “Gaia is my sister. Everything I thought I knew was a lie. I’ve been living in a fucking nightmare, Karter.” It spills out before I can stop it. The words, the pain, the broken pieces.
“They all lied to me.”
My legs give out, but he catches me before I hit the floor. “Come on. Let’s get you dressed.” He kisses my forehead, grabs his clothes, and leads me to the closet.
“But this is my home,” I argue softly.
“No.” His voice is ice. “This is a shrine of betrayal.” He shoves on his shirt. “Get dressed. We’re getting the fuck out of here.”
I obey in silence, throwing on an oversized shirt and joggers while watching him rummage through the back corner.
“What are you looking for?” I ask, narrowing my eyes.
He pulls out the hidden box. My journals.
“Why are you taking those?”
“Because I heard Josie and Gaia screaming about them before I snuck in. I figured they were important. Thought I’d grab a few to read,until you seduced me.”
I scoff, smirking. “Please, like you didn’t want it.”
He shoots me a look but doesn’t argue.
He takes my hand and leads me out of the closet, out of the room, past Gaia and Josie without a word.
No goodbyes. No explanations.
Justusnow.
And whatever truths we tear from the ruins next.
“Athens, where are you going?” Josie’s voice slices through the silence like a blade.
“Away from here.” Karter answers for me, voice sharp as shattered glass as he drags me toward the door.
